Certainly many believe that his role as the German terrorist, who was thwarted by Bruce Willis’s John McClane, was his most iconic role, but the Harry Potter fandom would argue otherwise.

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His most romantic role might be in Anthony Minghella’s Truly, Madly Deeply, though who could forget the unrequited love his character Colonel Brandon had for Kate Winslet’s Marianne in Ang Lee’s Sense And Sensibility.

He appeared opposite Emma Thompson in the film, for which her screenplay won and academy award, and the two later appeared together in Love Actually, when he broke our hearts as Harry by breaking Karen’s.

As well as starring roles on the silver screen he was a darling of the stage, having performed in Noël Coward’s romantic comedy Private Live as well as playing Mark Antony, opposite Dame Helen Mirren as Cleopatra, in the Royal National Theatre’s production of Antony and Cleopatra at the Olivier Theatre in London, which ran from 20 October to 3 December 1998.

As well as an actor, Alan was a celebrated director, having received praise for last year’s A Little Chaos starring Kate Winslet and Matthias Schoenaerts. His directorial debut was in 1997, for The Winter Guest.

One of his final appearance on screen will not be a live-action role, as he once again lent his voice to the Caterpillar for the Alice In Wonderland sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, which will be released this year.

He will also be seen in the drone warfare political thriller, Eye In The Sky, opposite Helen Mirren.

He is survived by his wife Rima Horton.

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